


What I Never Thought Would Happen

by YoungSoon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Developing Friendships, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Friendship/Love, Happy Birthday Tobio, Hinata doesn't care and will never care, M/M, Modern Fantasy, Romantic Friendship, Tobio with flower crowns is a supperior aesthetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28236477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungSoon/pseuds/YoungSoon
Summary: Tobio was supposed to be invisible - walking through centuries as the lone king of a small patch of forest remaining in the heart of a busy city. He was the last one to think it would ever change, but when the change appeared in the form of a fire-haired teen, there is nothing Tobio could do to stop it.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	What I Never Thought Would Happen

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever Haikyuu fic, so be gentle!  
> Absolutely inspired by the amazing art of Lizzie ( click [ HERE ](https://twitter.com/karasuno9_10/status/1341142409548353539) )

The folklore of faeries is so diverse and full of rules and exceptions one can easily get lost in the wast depths of it. Some claim faieries to be like ethereal forest nymphs, with glittery, translucent butterfly wings, wearing flowy gowns and dancing in sunlit clearings. Others refer to them as the fae - a collection of spirits in various forms and various intentions that lure people to their death or hunt them down just for fun. To some, the fairy folk is bright and playful nature spirits, and to others, they are tricksters and those who poke fun at silly humans. But what if they are not this nor that - something completely different but somehow exactly the definition of a fairy at the same time.

Tobio buries his nose deeper into the thick woolen scarf wrapped around his neck and stuffs his hands into the spacious pockets of his black coat. The cold doesn't truly bother him, but it's a set of actions he has seen so many times it just makes sense to do it himself. Sparse snowflakes swirl to the ground around him, landing on the gravel pathway, the trees still grasping onto the last orange and brown leaves, the still green grass, and the spaced-out wooden benches along the side of the pathway. Each little frozen water droplet sparkles in the cool yellow light falling from the lamp posts and does a little dance before landing on its target, which occasionally is Tobio himself.

A breeze coming more from the north grabs hold of the peaceful scene and mixes it up in a second. It manages to blow right through the scarf and the coat, making even Tobio shake. It ruffles his black hair and does its very best to rip off the tightly knit flower crown from his head but fails, just rustling the leaves and petals of late chrysanthemums, acorn clusters, and spikey chestnuts. Soon they would all slowly fade into evergreen holy with bright berries, long-needled pine tree branches, and tightly sealed pine cones. The crown would bloom with snowdrops and crocuses in spring, fading into forget-me-nots, dandelions, and apple trees. During summer, it would change near every week from roses to sunflowers, from poppies to daisies, and then nearing autumn- dahlias, and gladiolus. Each season brought new adornment to Tobio's crown - the crown of the park's king.

By a twist of fate in the ever-changing world, which took place already a couple of centuries ago, the once lush forest Tobio called his home began to shrink as the city next to it grew in size. Streets of houses soon separated one corner of the woods from another, every year growing taller and bigger until all that was left were several splotches of green scattered between skyscrapers and flashing billboards. And on one of these splotches - second largest park in the city - Tobio has remained alone for what now seemed an eternity. Once fairy king of a whole forest, he was now a lonely king, a mere memory stuck in a park. The metal fence and the large metal gate kept him from ever leaving - his endless life tied to this plot of land until the city swallows up even it. 

For everyone visiting the park, he is nothing more but an ever wandering mirage. They might catch a glimpse of him from the corner of their eyes as he walks on the pathways or strolls between the trees - his only companions left. Yet if he would stand right in front of any of them, they would see right through him - like the ghost of the long lost times he is. He, on the other hand, sees everything. The countless confessions of love made here, the proposals and even weddings; first walks with newborn babies and first run across the grass for a toddler. The joy of getting accepted in a school or getting hired, winning a lottery, and joy as simple as getting a new puppy had all happened here. Right next to all happiness, there has been heartbreak, rejection, the news of someone never coming back, the last moments of someone's life, and acceptance of defeat. Tobio has seen it all but experienced very little of it himself. It's quite impossible to live through human experiences when no one sees you, and above all - you are not human. Or so he thought, until this late autumn evening.

His usual stroll through the lamp-lit park comes to a halt when he notices a figure sitting on a bench further down the pathway. By the layer of snow on the ground around it and on the grey fabric of the thin-looking jacket, the person had been sitting there for quite a while. Seeing no harm in it, Tobio decides to walk closer. He often caught himself being perhaps a bit too nosy, but it is his only entertainment form. He stands next to the sitting person, right under the street lamp next to the bench, and takes a closer.

From all he knows, he is looking at a teenage boy. The boy's hair is a bright, fiery red and wild mop on top of his head - sticking in all possible directions, filled with sparkling snowflakes and moving along with each breeze. The gray jacket on top of a yellow hoodie seems like a rather thing attire for a cold evening like this, even by Tobio's standards. The white sneakers don't seem suitable either, but he is no human expert. Perhaps this is completely fine. The boy has definitely sat here for a moment, the considerable layer of snow on his shoulders giving it away. The reason at first seems unclear, but as Tobio looks closer at the boy's hands gripping onto the fabric of his slacks above his knees so tightly his knuckles have turned white, he has a guess it is not for a good reason.

For the first time, seemingly in forever, the boy lets out a long, shaky breath and the grip of his hands eases down. He raises his hands to his face, wiping his cheeks and rubbing his eyes before slapping both of his palms against his cheeks with full force. "All right!" he yells out as he slaps himself, and it could be the weirdest scene Tobio has ever witnessed. The boy's head shoots up, and he looks straight in front of him for a second. "This is not the end," he murmurs and lets out another breath. He continues looking in the distance for a moment longer until he suddenly turns exactly to the spot Tobio is standing at. The boy's large, caramel brown eyes peer right at Tobio from the edge of messy bangs, and adding another layer of shock, he speaks again, but this time, not to nothingness in front of him.

"Hello?" he tilts his head a bit to the side, not breaking his almost hypnotic stare. Taken aback, Tobio looks behind him and all around to see who the teen is talking to, but there isn't anyone else around then, not even close by. He slowly turns his head back to the teen, who is still staring directly at him.

"You... can see me?" he asks, not fully believing he is truly starting a conversation with someone or that the conversation is even possible.

"Well... yeah?" the teen seems sightly confused and now tilts his head to the other side. There is a slightly red hint in his eyes, probably from crying earlier, but nothing else seems out of the ordinary. So why could he see Tobio?

"Why?" Tobio blurts out, and the confusion on the teen's face only grows more confused. "Why... are you here so late?" he tries to fix this unbelievable situation at least a little. For now, he has no explanation why this boy could see him, and as this probably is a one-time thing, it doesn't matter much. He has met clairvoyants and magic users who could see him before. Maybe the boy has a gift he isn't aware of, or it's a fluke in the veil between the worlds existing to one another.

"I could ask the same thing," comes a quick response. "I need a moment to calm down before going home. That's all," the teen continues and turns his gaze back to the empty park before him.

"I see," Tobio murmurs, and in a strange momentary decision, he steps out from under the streetlamp and takes a seat on the bench next to the teen. He hats to admit it but having even a small meaningless conversation after what seemed like decades of silence is a pleasant change. "I saw you were sitting here alone and just checked if you maybe need help," he continues as he rests his back against the bench. Partially it is true, but it was more his curiosity than wanting to help.

"Thanks. I'm fine. I'll try again until I succeed," the teen smiles just slightly, and the sparkle in his eyes is not just the reflection of the light but more so a spark of determination. "I'm Hinata. Hinata Shouyou," he turns to Tobio and reaches out his hand for a greeting.

"Kageyama," Tobio gives out his fake alias as revealing his real name to any human could make him disappear. The faery cautiously takes the offered handshake, fearing his hand would slip right through the human, but he is greeted with the skin contact of a clearly freezing but very human hand. "You need gloves," he blurts out immediately, and as they pull their hands apart, Shouyou stares at his hand for a second before letting out a short laugh.

He ruffles his hair a bit, still smiling from ear to ear. "I guess I do, huh," he stuffs his hands into the shallow pockets of his jacket and leans against the bench just like Tobio. "How many times is it okay to try and fail?" Shouyou asks after a short moment of silence, and Tobio turns his head to him just slightly, his face half-hidden in the scarf. Slow, large clouds of hot breath escape Shouyou's mouth as he speaks, and Tobio has to be careful as his breath doesn't do the same. Nor are his cheeks and the tip of his nose rosy from the cold.

"If you have the strength - as long as you succeed," he replies and turns his eyes to the empty park just like Shouyou. "As long as you try, you are making progress," he adds.

Hearing the answer, Shouyou jumps to his feet, hands out of his pockets and balled up into fists by his sides, a large puff of air coming from his nose. "I think so too," the fiery-haired teen nods and turns to Tobio. "Thanks again. I had to hear it from someone else," he smiles and inhales deeply. "I am still making progress," the teen nods, "but I can still do more," he says and turns to the direction where the main gate of the park is. "And I can't lose a minute of that!" he almost yells and sets off sprinting, his sneakers somehow not slipping on the fresh snow. "See you around, Kageyama!" is the last thing Tobio hears before the teen runs out of his sight.

"Right. As if you will see me again," Tobio lets out a long sigh, not even a small puff of mist escaping in the air. He gets up from the bench and continues his aimless walk around the snow-covered pathways until the sun slowly begins rising somewhere behind the tall buildings. As far as he knows, it was a one time fluke of a meeting. But even an age-less fairy king doesn't know it all.

\- - -

It takes around a week for Tobio to see Shouyou again and vice versa. A loud "Oh! Kageyama!" surprises him on an early morning when the sun has barely risen, reflecting brightly in the solid layer of snow now covering everything in the park. Tobio's crown has changed to its winter composition, and a pair of gloves and boots have come as an addition to his attire. He turns around slowly, both knowing who he will see there and not believing it at the same time. The fiery mane is pressed down in the middle by a set of red earmuffs, adding to the literally hot-headed look. Shouyou is still wearing the same jacket, only now with a grey hoodie underneath. His hands are hidden in plain black mittens, and his sneakers seem to be a more wintery rendition of the previous ones, but once more, his looks seemed underdressed for human standards.

"I didn't think I would see you here again!" he cheers as he jogs right to Tobio, continuing the slight jogging motion on the spot. "How have you been?"

"Fine," Tobio responds, looking Shouyou up and down. "What are you doing?" he raises an eyebrow at the teen still moving on the spot.

"Jogging. I was sick for a bit, so I need to catch up with the training I missed," Shouyou smiles, but Tobio can frown in return. Humans could be very silly.

"You got sick, and the first logical thing to do after getting back to health is to go running dressed like this?" Tobio asks as he scans Shouyuo one more time, the slightly confused look he has already seen once back on his face.

"Yeah?" the teen blinks a few times, obviously not getting the point.

"Stupid," Tobio sighs and turns around. He takes a few stops before Shouyou snaps out of it with a loud 'Hey!' and is next to him in a second again.

"If I want to get on the track and field team in the spring semester, I can't give up! I have to do something as long as I can! You said it yourself!" he objects, still keeping up a light jog next to him. "Training more is all I can do!" he emphasizes, and Tobio can just let out a long sigh.

"Still stupid," he murmurs, and as he glances at Shouyou, he has probably the most exaggerated pout on his face.

"Race me then!" the teen suddenly stops, and so does Tobio. "Race me right here and now, and then you can have the right to tell me this is stupid!" he half yells, still pouting intensely.

"You can't be serious," Tobio looks at Shouyou, completely flabbergasted. The list of things he 'never thought would happen' is suddenly growing and all in connection with the fire-haired teen before him.

"I am very serious! Race with me, Kageyama! Right now!" he exclaims one more time before getting into a start position for a sprint. "From here to the 6th bench right around the curve in the pathway," he says and looks up at Tobio. "Or you think you can't win?" he smiles almost devilishly, and that's enough to rail Tobio up.

"Fine," he huffs and takes the same start position. "I don't want to ruin your dreams, though," he smirks, and there is this new, unfelt feeling of excitement in his chest. Rather than new, it's more so something long forgotten, but here it is - vividly jumping around his chest again.

"Just make sure that crown doesn't fly off," Shouyou grins, and his words smack Tobio across the head so hard - his eyes going big as he stares at Shouyou - he barely hears the countdown and the start signal. He snaps out only when he sees Shouyou taking off, and his legs begin to move on their own. It is one thing if Shouyou could see him - he knew some people could - but almost no one had seen the crown before unless Tobio specifically wanted them to see it. He is so lost in his thought he doesn't fully realize the power he is putting into his run and dashes right past Shouyou, barely stopping at the agreed finish line.

"Okay, maybe you have the right to tell me it's stupid," Shouyou gasps as he reaches Tobio. He rests his hands on his knees and breathes slowly, clouds of his breath escaping in the wintery morning.

"You can see the crown?" Tobio asks more quietly than ever before, but Shouyou still hears him.

"It's not entirely my style, but it's kind of a cool fashion statement. Looks good on you," he answers casually and straightens his back, stretching a little. "If if it somehow helps with aerodynamics while running, you have to tell me. Might become my style too because that speed was something," he adds, and Tobio can just stare at him in absolute awe.

"I'm not human," words suddenly begin to spill from Tobio's lips, and he can't control them, just like he couldn't control his legs a moment ago. "I am not human," he repeats, and Shouyou looks at him with a puzzled gaze.

"Well, you were super fast but not THAT fast," he sounds as confused as he looks. It could stop here; the sudden words Tobio has let escape only the second time he meets Shouyou could be fixed here. But instead of that, he continues.

"You don't get it. I am not human, Shouyou. I am a fairy," a breeze blows over them, ruffling the mop of orange hair up, rustling in the pine needles on top of Tobio's head, and silence settles around them Tobio can't explain. Nor can he explain why he just did what he did, but if there is one power he doesn't have, it's turning back time.

\- - -

"Kageyama, are you sleeping?" Shouyou asks in half-whisper, but it's loud enough for Tobio to hear him. Slowly, he opens his eyes and looks up at the same orange mane and caramel-colored eyes he has seen already so many times hovering above him, covering the blinding afternoon sun.

"I don't sleep. You know that" Tobio sighs and sits up while Shouyou flops down next to him on the grass, his gym bag next to him, letting a comfortable silence settle between them. The small clearing between trees and bushes is Tobio's favorite hideout, while the park is full of people during peak hours of the day. It was a secret before, purely by accident, he led Shouyou here one day. It happened around the same time snowdrops sprouted from his crown, now replaced by fully blooming apple branches and tulips. Many things around the orange-haired teen happened on accident and made Tobio's list of 'never thought it would happen' longer and longer.

It seemed like he didn't care about what Tobio said on that winter morning, or rather he was overly excited even. 'That's awesome' being his reaction of choice rather than shock and disbelief. He was continuously more interested in how Tobio achieved such speed than anything else. Even when emphasized, it was more to do with what Tobio is he didn't give up and announced he would still outrun him at one point. Even to the timeless question, 'are you stupid?' he responded with a simple 'no, just determined' and the ridiculously brightest smile. And so, even when trying, Tobio could non longer get rid of him, and he, honestly, didn't even want to.

Once every few days, Shouyou would appear in the park to challenge Tobio for a race - even when it's snowing or raining. It would take him a couple of times to realize there was no point to bring extra post-run snacks for Tobio as he couldn't eat them. He still always has an extra candy bar in his pocket, just in case, and Tobio doesn't have the heart to tell him again he doesn't have to do it. The warmer the weather got the more time he spent in the park, especially in the evenings after lessons and it had been couple of hundred years since Tobio had last had so much company of someone and so regularly. Even if he complained, told Shouyou he was annoying or stupid, all he got back was a smile and even more determination from the teen to beat him. 

"How was the try-out today?" Tobio breaks the silence and looks at Shouyou, who instantly begins digging through his bag. It takes him a second to fish something out from it, and with a swift movement of the hand, he plops it on top of his head before turning to Tobio with the possibly brightest smile ever on his face.

"I made it on the team!" he announces, a crooked plastic flower crown with strangely colored daisies resting in his messy hair. "I got the 5th over-all best time in the sprint and qualified for their summer camp, too!" he adds with the same level of excitement. Yet the sparkle of joy and pride in Tobio's chest suddenly dies down. Right. Shouyou won't be here forever, unlike him.

"That's good," Tobio exhales and lies back down, crossing his arms under his head and closing his eyes. He knows very well how confused Shouyou probably looks right now as he just announced his current biggest goal coming true, and this is all Tobio could give in response. But what he doesn't know that there is one more thing added to Tobio's extensive list. He never thought he would know someone so well it would hurt to think about never seeing them again.

"Is everything okay?" Shouyou asks, and Tobio can feel those eyes looking straight at him.

"When does the camp start?" he asks dryly, knowing well enough his voice is giving away he is not entirely happy. Conversations are not his strong point, especially when he feels vulnerable for the first time in a while.

"In a week, and then it will last for two," the annoyance in Shouyou's voice is very evident, and he is as bad at keeping feelings to himself as Tobio.

"Good for you," the fairy replies in an as empty way as before and, to his surprise, receives a light punch to his shoulder, and he sits up instantly. "What the hell?"

"I should ask what the hell! Aren't you happy for me? What's your problem all of a sudden?" it is so incredibly unfair to upset Shouyou on a day so happy for him, but once again, he doesn't understand the depth of things.

"Stop being stupid and try understanding what this means for a second!" Tobio almost yells back. He knows no one in the park can hear his voice, but Shouyou and the latter, in return, doesn't care if he is seen or heard talking seemingly to himself. He never cared and never will care to be the odd one out, and it only makes this more difficult.

"How about you explain to me if I am as stupid as you tell me I am!" it is almost heartbreaking to see the change on Shouyou's face from the radiant joy to this utter confusion and even anger. The flower crown barely holds on top of his head as he stares right at Tobio, and for once, he is completely right. He should just explain.

"It means I am losing my only friend. My only... everything," Tobio finally replies properly. "I knew it would happen at one point but never knew how I would feel, so you could at least try to understand."

"Kageyama..." Shouyou starts quietly just to grow in volume right after. "Are YOU stupid? It's just a summer camp! What are you talking about?" 

"It's not just about the camp!" Tobio interrupts him before he says anything else. "I am eternal. I will be here as long as even a root of this place exists. You are human!" he feels his voice rising, the bushes around them shaking from the silent vibration it emits. "Now it's summer camp. Then it's the university. Then it's moving or traveling as an athlete, and then it's the end." Tobio just lets words flow from his mouth before looking at Shouyou.

He receives another punch on his shoulder before he can continue, Shouyou's fist remaining on Tobio's shoulder. "Say one more thing, and then I will punch your fairy face," Shouyou utters, and it's a new tone, a new expression Tobio has never seen before. "First of all, you timeless dumbass, I am 15, which means all that list doesn't exist!" he says and digs his knuckles deeper. "Secondly, if you really think and believe I would drop you for some ridiculous reason, you are the biggest moron I have ever met!" he withdraws his hand. "But above all, I am glad to hear you would miss me." 

"Miss you?" Tobio exclaims in pure shock. "Is this thing too tight around your head or something?" he says as he grabs the plastic flower crown that is barely sitting on top of the orange hair. "I never said I would miss you," he murmurs, looking at the artificially colored daisies.

"You don't have to say it. I understood it anyway. I'd miss you too... at any of those imaginary scenarios you mentioned," Shouyou mumbles and looks down at the grass next to him, plucking at it slightly. "I mean that I won't drop you, though. You are kind of very important to me now. I don't just drop people," he adds.

"Stupid," Tobio half whispers under his breath and takes the plastic flower crown with both of his hands. A faint sparkling light escapes his fingertips and enters the crown, each leaf and flower turning from fake to real before their very eyes. "At one point, what you want won't matter," he sighs and places the crown back on Shouyou's head, the latter looking up at him the very moment.

"There's time to figure that out," he smiles gently and brightly, and as the sunlight pours over him, now playing between his orange locks and the white flowers, Tobio has to pull back quickly.

"Right... sorry for the panic," Tobio murmurs, and to avoid the reaction, he lays back down, one arm under his head and the other laying in the grass.

"Didn't know you could apologize," Shouyou lets out a short laugh and lies down as well. "Kageyama..." he begins but gets interrupted.

"Tobio. My name is actually Tobio," the fairy corrects, and instead of a reaction, Shouyou grabs his hand in his. As Tobio turns to him, the teen just stares at the sky with the slightest blush on his cheeks.

"Tobio... I am not dropping you," he says, and Tobio turns his eyes to the sky as well.

"You better don't."


End file.
